~If You’re Happy and You (don’t) know it....clap your hands~
“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice.” Phil. 4:4
You decide. It’s no one else’s obligation or privilege to get to decide for us to be happy or to make us happy. Stir up the gift of God in you. Sometimes things are in you and me. We just have to stir ‘em up. The way to do that is by doing what this verse says…telling ourselves to rejoice in the Lord. Sometimes we may even have to do like this verse and tell ourselves TWICE when things we are facing seem insurmountable.
For me personally, I literally have to “stir up” good emotions. People seem surprised when they find out that happiness isn’t second nature for me. It is a revelation from God that has changed me from being a pessimist to more of an optimist but I still have to stir myself up sometimes and remind myself to rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS and ANYWAY.
A few pracical things I do that you could try are…
to take time to either go for a walk/run, pray
listen to some rejuvenating music
or do something you enjoy with intentionality.
Personal time is so important and restorative for our emotions and for our souls. Sometimes all we need to get ourselves in gear is to do what these verses below say and engage in one simple act like clapping our hands, shouting, obeying God, praying, re-joicing, or being thankful.
Psalm 47:1 New Living Translation
Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!
Psalms 32:11 New Living Translation
So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
Psalm 66:1 New Living Translation
Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
Psalm 103:1-2 ESV
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
1 Thessalonians 5 NIV NLT 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus
Luke 1:47 NIV and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
I don’t know about you but just reading those verses is so encouraging and gives me strenght. Why? Because meditating on these verses stir up joy inside of us and that is what gives us the strength to clap our hands when we may otherwise be more apt to throw them in the air and give up instead. It’s the power in these verses that help us shout instead of weep, obey rather than rebel, pray and not complain, re-joice over no longer rejoicing, and be thankful instead of taking things for granted.
Print this out or take a screen shot or save it to your notes so you can have this reminder for when you are happy and you (don’t) know it so you can still clap your hands!
Happy Monday!
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